It’s not often that Microsoft decides to change the default font for its software, but that time has come for Office, and the company wants your help choosing the new default.
As The Microsoft Design Team explains, the default Office font used to be Times New Roman before that was replaced in 2007 with Cailibri. However, Microsoft believes, “it’s time to evolve” and has commissioned five new custom fonts in a bid to find one to replace Calibri.
The five new fonts are Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview. All will be available in the font menu for Office, but only one can be the default and Microsoft is asking everyone to have their say via social media. Whichever font turns out to be the most popular will be the one all Office users see (unless they change the default).
So how do you tell Microsoft which font you like best? First of all, you’ll need to be using one of Microsoft’s products that can take advantage of cloud fonts. Examples include Excel for Microsoft 365, Word for Microsoft 365, and Outlook for Microsoft 365. In any of those apps, navigate to File > Account, select Manage Settings under Account Privacy, and turn on Optional connected experiences to get the cloud fonts added.
After that, simply use the fonts in anger and see which one works best. When you’ve decided, let Microsoft know what you think via the Microsoft 365 Twitter account. It may be a tough decision with a lot of variation in feedback because, “the new fonts span the various sans-serif styles—humanist, geometric, swiss-style, and industrial.”
